


Trusting Starlight

by didipickles



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Blow Jobs, Feeding Kink, Fluff and Smut, Food Kink, Gratuitous Use of The Polar Express, M/M, Post-Engagement, Rimming, Tender Sex, Tenderness, Twinkle Lights, snacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 16:08:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21018539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/didipickles/pseuds/didipickles
Summary: The holiday season has been stressful at Rose Apothecary, and Patrick is at his breaking point. David surprises him and makes everything okay. They spend a tender evening taking care of each other.





	Trusting Starlight

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SCFrozenOver](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SCFrozenOver) collection. 

> **Prompt:**  
What happens underneath the twinkly lights of David and Patrick's first Christmas tree.
> 
> This work was made infinitely better by this-is-not-nothing, who was there every time I wanted to stop writing. Thank you <3
> 
> Title from ["Believe" by Josh Groban](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOD4FHZtR7E)

The current holiday season at Rose Apothecary didn't outwardly appear too different from the previous ones. Vendors sent in their limited-time supplies of holiday-themed items, the people of Schitt's Creek and its vicinity became much more urgent in their shopping, and Roland still tried to insist that as the mayor he was entitled to a complimentary Christmas gift basket. Everything seemed to be moving along in the exact same way, except for one key difference: instead of running the store with his boyfriend, Patrick Brewer now ran the store alongside his fiancé. 

It had been a few months since the engagement, and the initial buzz Patrick felt on his skin when he caught sight of David's rings hadn't quite worn off. David had just finished moving his things into Patrick's apartment (aside from the mysterious excess of clothes he apparently kept in a room at the motel...Patrick hadn't pressed for details), and they were settling into another thrilling chapter of their life together. Every once in a while they'd be maneuvering around the store in the comfortable familiar way they'd perfected, and then Patrick would be hit with an overwhelming urge to pull David into the back room so he could drop to his knees and show him again how grateful Patrick was to spend the rest of his life with him. Normally Patrick could suppress the impulse, but David always seemed delighted when Patrick's more primal side won out.

This week, however, they'd barely had any time to speak at work, let alone have privacy in the back room. First, Gerard's entire shipment of peppermint body milk had exploded in the stockroom due to faulty packaging, leaving David and Patrick alternating turns on their hands and knees scrubbing and mopping and drying. Then the store ran out of its special winter spice tea, and Patrick had to explain to customer after disappointed customer that it wouldn't be back in stock until after Christmas. And then this morning, Holly had called to say the mistletoe she promised to deliver for the store's holiday singles' night event this weekend had been erroneously delivered to someone else. 

Between the two of them, Patrick had always assumed he'd be better equipped to handle a series of things going utterly wrong, but he was at his breaking point. Meanwhile, David seemed completely unaffected, which Patrick wasn't sure if he found charming or irritating. The decision was made for him (definitely irritating) when at 3 o'clock David kissed him on the cheek and made an apologetic face before saying he had to leave for the rest of the day. Patrick's eyebrows climbed up his forehead as he watched his impossible, infuriating, baffling fiancé trot to the door. "David, don't you think we're a little too busy for you to be abandoning me?" he called, trying to keep his voice cheery for the sake of the dozen or so customers.

David shot him another grimace and shook his head, hand already pushing the door open. "I'm sorry, honey! Gotta go! I'll see you at home!" And then he was gone, leaving Patrick alone to deal with an entire afternoon of hassled, harried people trying to find stocking stuffers and Hanukkah gifts. By the time the last customer left, it was 5:25. He still had to count the till and restock the floor, and with every passing minute Patrick felt an uncomfortable and unfamiliar flare of annoyance pass over him. David hadn't even given him a reason for leaving, had just walked out when the store was at its busiest. Patrick spent the rest of the time grumbling to himself about "equal partnership" and "division of labor," occasionally punctuated by a totally different annoyance as he realized it had been a full week since he'd gotten more than a few minutes to make out with David.

As he locked up, Patrick checked his watch. 6:17. Instinctively he wondered if David had eaten yet, and then childishly decided he wasn't going to ask. David made Patrick take care of things alone at the store, let him figure out his own dinner tonight. For all Patrick knew, David could be out with his family right now, laughing and relaxing. The image made Patrick's jaw clench. There was no sign of David at the café when Patrick stopped in for a quick sandwich, and he felt the tension in his chest ratchet up a notch. So where the hell was he?

While Patrick made his way back to the apartment, sipping a tea to keep himself warm in the bitter cold, he thought of what he would say to David when he saw him. He really didn't want an argument, but with the hectic week they'd had, he was on edge and was afraid no matter what he said, he'd end up picking a fight just to let off some steam. 

Whatever pre-determined speech he'd picked out faded away when Patrick opened the door to the apartment. He was greeted by the soft white light emanating from what looked like a hundred strings of fairy lights strung up on every wall, bathing the entire space in an ethereal glow. In the corner, a small but plump pine tree was wrapped with golden twinkle lights and light blue garland. Patrick recognized David's favorite blanket laid out in front of the tree, along with a few pillows from their bed, a plate of cheese and crackers and grapes, and a bottle of wine. Propped up against the wine was a book. In seconds Patrick recognized it: The Polar Express. He had a copy just like it when he was a kid, had begged his parents to read it to him every night during the lead up to Christmas. Eventually the binding had broken apart, but Patrick refused for his parents to buy a new copy and instead insisted they patch it up with duct tape. Patrick looked closer, and realized this was the same copy he'd grown up with, the tape fraying at the corners. Tears immediately pricked his eyes and he brought his hand to his mouth, stifling a half-laugh half-sob. 

At that moment, David came out of the bathroom and stopped short when he saw Patrick. "You're here," he said, clearly a bit off-kilter. 

"What is...how did you...David," Patrick finally settled on. When all other words failed, Patrick always found that David's name was sufficient. 

David walked toward him slowly, a gentle smile spreading over his beautiful features. The lights on the walls made his dark eyes shine, and if Patrick hadn't already done it, he'd be down on one knee this instant. "Surprise," David whispered once he was close enough for Patrick to feel his breath against his lips, his hands easing Patrick's jacket off. "Things have been less than ideal this week and you were starting to worry me, I thought you might actually have a breakdown, and I know you mentioned missing home at the holiday, so…" David trailed off, opting instead to kiss Patrick's cheek so gently that it was little more than a brush of wind. "I wanted to make this feel like home."

Patrick opened his mouth to speak and a choked noise came out instead. Helplessly he gestured around, pointing at the lights and then the tree and then finally the book. "You got my book," he said in a strangled whisper. 

Humming in response, David pulled Patrick to the bed and picked up Patrick's softest pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. "Go have a shower. I'll be waiting for you."

Of course David knew when to give Patrick time to process. Patrick nodded and took the clothes, eyes lingering on the idyllic scene in his - in _ their _\- living room before closing the bathroom door and letting out a shaky breath. People often made jokes about how Patrick had his work cut out for him, how David was going to be a handful, so on and so on and so on. Although he knew they were mostly harmless jokes (he'd been around long enough to know how sincerely the people in town cared about David), he couldn't help but feel like everyone had it all wrong. Loving David was the easiest thing he'd ever done. Loving David made Patrick feel like everything else made sense. Most of all, David gave Patrick a new reason to love him every single day. David took care of him like no one else ever had, because no one else knew Patrick needed it.

The shower washed away the last remnants of frustration and bitterness. Warm and relaxed in his appointed outfit, Patrick felt much more like himself. With a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped back out to find his fiancé lounging on the blanket, half a cracker in hand. David chewed and swallowed, looking guilty. "I got hungry," he said by way of explanation, and Patrick just laughed and sat next to him.

"I can't believe you did this, David. I mean...did you put up these lights by yourself?"

David scoffed and popped a grape into his mouth. "I feel like I should be offended that after all my work you are doubting my abilities." Patrick had little choice but to lean in and lick the juice from David's tongue, drawing a satisfied sound from him.

"I'd never doubt your abilities," Patrick murmured against David's lips. "I definitely remember _ you _being the one to call the electrician and then to fix the lights at the store by yourself. Wait..." 

David rolled his eyes and lay back against a pillow, pulling Patrick down to rest his head on David's chest. "You're a real smartass, you know." 

"Takes one to know one," Patrick retorted, a happy warmth blooming in his chest. "Besides, I might be a little testy because _ someone _left me alone at the store this afternoon," he heard David draw breath to reply and cut him off quickly, "so he could set up a romantic surprise in our living room."

"Oh. Well. Hmpf. Glad you think so." Even without seeing his face, Patrick could tell David was pleased. He knew David was still getting used to this, to being free and open with his feelings, to the trust that nothing bad would happen if he let himself be vulnerable. Patrick loved him so goddamn much.

"I love you so goddamn much, David Rose." Patrick pulled himself off David's chest so he could look down at him and take in the way the gold and white lights made his face seem softer, smoothed out the edges David had learned to keep up through years of experience. 

"I love you," David said back. They looked at each other for several long moments, thousands of other affirmations passing between them wordlessly. Finally, David reached up and pawed Patrick’s shoulder. "Hey, will you read me your book?"

If possible, Patrick's heart expanded even further in his chest at the soft, almost tentative question. In the over two years of slowly pulling back David's layers, Patrick had learned that some of David's happiest memories were the rare nights that his mother would be around and conscious enough to read him a bedtime story. Mostly those stories were reviews of her own projects, but David loved to listen to her inflections and the way she savored every word. When his mother wasn't around, David would sometimes work up the courage to ask his father to read to him, until he turned 13 and his dad suggested that he read to himself now. David never asked again. Patrick remembered the anger he felt at the Mr. Rose of 20 years ago for adding one link in the chain fence David spent his life building around himself. It had taken Patrick several days of reminding himself that the Roses were different people back then before he could look Mr. Rose in eye. They’d all inflicted scars, but they’d all grown too.

Drawing himself back to the present, Patrick answered by kissing David's forehead. "I'd love to," he said. They rearranged themselves on the blanket so Patrick was leaning back against the couch with his legs spread in front of him so David could lay between them against Patrick's chest. After pressing a kiss to the top of David's head, Patrick opened the book and dropped his voice as he began to read. The story filled Patrick with a bittersweet nostalgia, and he could almost smell his mom's perfume. 

The ending floated in the air as Patrick gingerly closed the well worn book and set it off to the side. It was a testament to how enthralled David had been that he hadn't taken a single bite of cheese while Patrick read to him. Patrick had a sneaking suspicion that it was only partly due to the story, but mostly because Patrick knew how much David loved to listen to him speak, especially when leaned back against him. They both stayed silent for a little while longer, until David spoke in an almost inaudible voice.

"So do you think you'd still hear the bell?"

Patrick didn't know exactly what he expected, but that small, sincere question wasn't it. He pressed his lips into the crown of David's head as he thought.

"3 years ago? Probably not. But now?" He smiled as the certainty spread through him. "Yeah. Definitely."

For a few seconds David didn't speak, and then he let out a loud huff of laughter as he pushed himself forward and turned to look at Patrick. "I'm sorry, are you saying that falling in love with me has made you believe in Santa Claus? Because I don't know if that's a kink I want to explore."

Patrick laughed and lunged forward, pushing David onto his back on the soft blanket. "Yes, David. When I said you make me feel right, what I really meant was that I believe in Santa Claus again." The pent-up negative feelings from the afternoon seemed so far away now as Patrick gazed down at David who stared back at him with laughter crinkled into the corners of his eyes. "I just mean I believe in a lot of things again that I thought I had lost."

David pulled his lips to one side as he considered this information. "Alright, I'll give you that," he said, a smile clearly hiding in his voice.

"God, you're impossible," Patrick murmured before dropping down and kissing him until they both were smiling and giggling too much to really keep going, but too wrapped up in tasting each other's laughter to pull away. Patrick had just sucked David's top lip between his own when David's stomach rumbled underneath him and sent them both into a fresh round of giggles. Patrick gave him one last kiss before pushing himself up and pulling the plate and wine over. 

"No cups?"

David shook his head as he adjusted into a sitting position. "Straight from the bottle."

"Wow, it really is a special occasion," Patrick teased as he picked up a piece of cheese and took a bite. Before David could reach for his own, Patrick scooted closer and brought the other half of his piece to David's lips. "Open," he said softly. David obeyed, and Patrick carefully placed the cheese on David's waiting tongue and watched as David's lips closed around his fingertips. "Chew," Patrick said in a voice just above a whisper. After a few seconds, Patrick leaned in. "Swallow." He watched with satisfaction as David's Adam's apple bobbed and his throat moved. "Good. Again." 

They spent long minutes like that, Patrick delicately feeding David and watching greedily as he ate from his fingers. One cracker left a few crumbs on David's lips, and Patrick moved in close to lick them off. Patrick then picked up a grape and placed it gently between his own teeth and waited, watching David expectantly. With a soft sigh of understanding, David leaned in and closed his lips around the grape, letting Patrick push it into his mouth with his tongue. 

By the time the plate of food was empty and the bottle of wine half gone, Patrick's pajamas were feeling much tighter. He loved feeding David, plain and simple. The intimacy of the act, the tangible evidence of David letting Patrick take care of him, sent constant tiny thrills over Patrick's skin. 

"Seems a little unfair that I set up this whole thing for you and then you hardly got any of the food," David said softly, pushing the plate away to give himself room to stretch out.

Patrick shook his head with a small smile. "Believe me, that was better. This is," he paused. Tears pricked at Patrick's eyes again as he looked around, taking in the effort and thought that must have gone into this. David Rose was a good person, and Patrick wanted to spend the rest of his life collecting the evidence. "This is perfect. I mean, I'm a little afraid of the tree catching fire, but." He sniggered as David swatted at his shoulder.

"I will not stand for this level of disrespect in my new home!" David cried out, not an ounce of threat in his voice. 

"And I will not stand for going any longer without you on top of me," Patrick retorted as he shifted to lay down. "Get over here."

David grinned and obliged. Patrick let out a gratified sigh when he felt the evidence that he wasn't the only one turned on by their food exploits, and he immediately pulled David down into a lazy, dirty kiss. Since tonight seemed to be rife with moments of introspection, Patrick found himself remembering how rushed and frantic everything had felt when he started becoming physical with David. Now, especially since the engagement and the concrete knowledge that they had all the time in the world, Patrick relished the ability to kiss David for long unhurried hours, until both of them were boneless. David was warm and pliant on top of him, and Patrick easily could have spent the rest of the night like this. And yet.

"Mm," Patrick hummed, using a slight grip on David's hair to pull him off just a little. "Hi."

"Hi," David whispered. His lips were pink and shiny, and Patrick loved him.

"Will you do something for me?" 

David blinked slowly down at him. "I think you know the answer to that."

Patrick's eyes closed as a swell of utter _ rightness _passed through him again. When he opened them, David was mere inches away, the whole world offered up to Patrick in his face. 

"Will you let me suck you? Please?" Patrick kept his voice soft, afraid of the emotion loaded behind his question. David had done so much, had taken such good care of Patrick when Patrick didn't even know he needed it, and Patrick needed somewhere to direct his energy before he liquified into a pool of affection and possibly tears.

David was impossibly delicate with the kiss he gave Patrick then. "Can I...can I open you up while you do?" 

"Yeah, yeah, of course, please, just, let's," Patrick murmured, capable only of an unintelligible series of pleas and affirmations. He sighed in relief when David produced a bottle of lube from a corner of the blanket. David didn't get enough credit for how thoroughly he thought through plans that mattered.

They shed their clothes quickly and ended up with David on his back and Patrick on top of him, gratefully taking his cock as deep as he could between his lips. David whispered inaudible praises as he parted Patrick's cheeks and licked up between them, causing Patrick to moan around his cock, which just spurred David to tongue him more thoroughly. Every nerve ending of Patrick's body was tuned in to David: David's cock heavy and bittersweet on his tongue, David's mouth at his hole, David's chest hair rubbing against Patrick's cock, David's nails digging in where he was holding Patrick open, David's slick finger pushing in. David David David. 

Patrick realized he was actually saying David's name, the sound muffled by cock, when he felt David's large soothing hand stretching up his back and heard David whisper "shh, it's alright, Patrick, Patrick…" A second finger pushed in, and Patrick's mouth went slack around David's cock. 

"Yes, David, _ David," _ Patrick said in a hoarse whisper, letting David's dick drop from his mouth. Instead he burrowed his face into the crease where David's pelvis met his thigh, whining and pushing his ass back onto David's fingers. It was too good, too much, never enough, and then _ oh god _ David worked in a third finger and Patrick was babbling and begging until David gently gripped his hips. 

"Hey, I've got you, I've got you, c'mere," David said softly. Patrick wasn't entirely aware of what was happening until he found himself lying on his back with David gazing down at him. "I want to make you feel so good," David breathed as he lined himself up with one hand, the other loosely gripping Patrick's flushed cock. "Are you ready?"

Patrick nodded and whimpered, gripping his thighs to pull them higher against his chest. "Please, but, want you closer."

After closing his eyes for a few seconds David nodded and lowered himself on top of Patrick, his hand still between them on Patrick's dick. "Yeah? Like this?"

"Yeah, please, wanna feel you." Patrick let his legs wrap lightly around David so he could slide his hands over David's back. As David slowly pushed in, Patrick fought to keep his eyes open. He loved to see the unguarded devotion on David's face when they joined, the clear proof that Patrick wasn't in this alone. "David," Patrick whispered. The lights, the tree, the setting was all overwhelming and Patrick wanted to stretch it out forever.

"I know," David breathed against Patrick's cheek, hips slowly undulating in long unhurried thrusts that matched his hand on Patrick's cock. "I love you, god I love you Patrick."

"I love you, thank you for doing this," Patrick said in a low husky voice, his nerve endings alight with the luscious attention. Belatedly he realized he didn't clarify that _ this _meant the whole beautiful set up, not just the sex, but he was utterly unable to say anything else.

David nodded and kissed Patrick's neck softly as he kept rolling his hips and driving deep and slow into Patrick. Distantly Patrick heard David whispering against his skin, but his focus had narrowed down to the delicious slide of David's cock inside him, David's hand on him. The pace was steady and almost leisurely, except that Patrick felt like his heart might jump out of his chest and David had pulled his head back and was looking down at Patrick with all the wonder and reverence in the world. 

Without warning, Patrick came between them with a surprised cry. David's hand tightened on his cock as he pulsed again and again, shooting up to their chests. "That's it, that's it, god, love you so much," David was repeating as his hips picked up speed, slapping his skin into Patrick's ass as he fucked deeper and more deliberately. 

Once capable of speech, Patrick pulled David's head down so he could whisper in his ear. "I love you, you're so perfect, David, you feel so good inside me, I want you to come inside me, please, David, give it to me." He felt David shudder above him and then clenched his ass around David's cock as it spilled inside him. "Fuck, yes, push it into me, I want to feel it." David grunted and fucked frantically for a few more moments until he let out a gaping breath and collapsed onto Patrick’s shoulder, panting and kissing it. 

Patrick rubbed David's back as he slowly shifted around, wincing when David's cock slipped from his hole and a trickle of come followed. He brushed his lips over David's closed eyelid. "Hey, hey, you okay? That was...wow." 

David didn't open his eyes, just mumbled something indistinguishable and nodded. Patrick leaned in and kissed David's shoulder as he kept running a hand over his back. He felt another dribble of come slide from his hole and distantly remembered they were on David's favorite blanket, but he pushed that thought down when David finally opened his eyes. The golden light twinkled and reflected back, and Patrick was struck by how ethereal and beautiful this man was. 

"Love you," David finally managed, and Patrick wondered if it ever would stop feeling like a revelation to hear those words from David's lips. For now, he settled with tasting them.

Several minutes and giggly kisses later, they cuddled with David's head on Patrick's chest in bed, warm and clean and cozy under David's second-favorite blanket. Patrick had insisted on leaving the fairy lights on, and now he looked around the apartment in the low lighting, taking in all the little details that said "David Rose lives here" and feeling lucky all over.

Later, presents would accumulate under the tree, a string of lights would go out that Patrick wouldn't be able to fix, and pine needles would show up in the most ridiculous places, but absolutely nothing would take away Patrick’s deep satisfaction of sharing this holiday season and a home and a future with the man he loved.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @thedidipickles and twitter @didipickles2


End file.
